The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival·China Film Week held a grand awards ceremony yesterday at the Asahi Shimbun Memorial Hall in Tokyo. The country's first 8K panoramic sound Kun Opera film "Handan Ji" shot by the Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe won the Artistic Contribution Award and the Golden Crane Award.
On the red carpet of the Tokyo International Film Festival yesterday, four representative artists from Shanghai, China, met with international media and audiences. Gu Haohao, chief producer of the film "Handan Chronicles" and director of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, wore an elegant royal blue suit. Director Teng Junjie walked steadily in leather shoes. Ji Zhenhua, a national treasure-level Kunqu opera performing artist and the lead actor of the film, wore a signature peaked cap. , elegant and graceful, Liang Guyin, another national treasure-level Kunqu opera performing artist and the star of this film, is wearing a rose red embroidered mid-dress, looking graceful and luxurious. The four guests walked slowly across the red carpet with their heads held high and confident smiles on their faces. The crowd of onlookers burst into applause and greeted each other in various languages, including Chinese. There were also some enthusiastic onlookers who raised their cameras and asked to take photos, and the artists also stopped to fulfill their wishes.
During this visit to Japan, Ji Zhenhua was very excited. Standing at such a grand event for international cultural exchanges, his heart was filled with excitement. He was very pleased to be able to introduce the art of Kunqu Opera passed down by his ancestors to so many audiences from all over the world. From an intangible cultural heritage on the verge of being lost to today's gradual introduction to the world, such a huge change is inseparable from the high attention paid to traditional culture by all sectors of society and the love, persistence and perseverance of Kunqu opera people. Liang Guyin admitted that this was the first time in her life to participate in such an event. After the entire red carpet ceremony, the atmosphere was warm, harmonious and appropriate. She felt the great respect for the art of opera. “After singing Kun Opera all my life, today I personally felt that this art has gone abroad, and sweet happiness filled my heart. "
This time, the Kunqu opera film "Handan Ji" will participate in the China Film Week screening activities, with four screenings planned. The director of this film, Teng Junjie, has participated in many domestic and foreign film festivals. He said that he is very proud to bring a film based on Chinese Kunqu opera to such an international event. With the rapid advancement of film technology, it can contribute to the ancient Kun Opera and gain more audiences. This is undoubtedly an effective means to tell Chinese stories and spread the voice of China.
At the award ceremony, Kurihara Komaki, artistic advisor to the Japan-China Film Executive Committee and a well-known Japanese film star in China, fondly recalled her past collaboration with the famous Chinese director Xie Jin on "The Bells of Seiryoji", bringing the audience to China and Japan. In a harmonious atmosphere of sincere cooperation between artists. Tachibana Ichimura, the 17th generation descendant of Kabuki, a traditional Japanese art, took the stage and announced that the artistic contribution award for this screening event would be awarded to the Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe's Kun Opera film "Handan Chronicles". Chinese Kunqu Opera and Japanese Kabuki are both one of the most representative traditional arts of the two countries. Meeting on such a grand occasion in the form of awarding and receiving awards can be described as another story of cultural exchanges between the two countries.
This year coincides with Ji Zhenhua's 70th anniversary as an artist. When he took the stage to receive the award, witnessing this film from Shanghai to the international stage was undoubtedly a special gift for his 70-year artistic career. Yuan Jia and Gan Chunwei from the Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe performed the classic Kun Opera excerpt "Wandering in the Garden" for the Japanese audience. Her graceful and euphemistic singing voice and delicate and soft performance filled the audience with surprises.
Next, the movie "Handan Chronicles" will also participate in the 2023 Osaka China Film Week hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Osaka and the National Film Administration. The crew will go to Japan's Meiji University for film screenings and exchanges, hoping to see more in Japan The city promotes Chinese Kunqu Opera.
Gu Haohao said that the movie "Handan Ji" is another masterpiece of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe that has been put on the screen after "Jingyang Bell". In mid-October, it was nominated by the jury for the "Best Opera Film" at the 36th China Golden Rooster Awards. It retains the essence of the skills of national treasure-level artists through new technical means, and stands on a higher international platform to show the world the wonderful charm of China's excellent traditional culture. The Kunqu Opera film "Handan Chronicles" will make its first stop at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and will subsequently participate in more domestic and foreign film festivals to promote and introduce Chinese traditional culture to the world more broadly and explore richer means and channels for culture to go global.
